Link connecting structure of friction wheel continuously variable transmission

ABSTRACT

A pair of friction wheels gripped between an input disk and output disk facing each other on a rotation shaft of a friction wheel continuously variable transmission, are supported by a pair of supporting members each comprising a supporting shaft. An end of the supporting shaft of one supporting member and an end of the supporting shaft of another supporting member are joined by a link. The center of the link is supported free to pivot by a pin. The link supports the supporting member against an outward force exerted by the input disk and output disk on the friction wheels in a direction away from the rotation shaft. The link and supporting shaft are joined by inserting a joint into an engaging hole of the link. The shapes of the outer circumferential surface of the joint and inner circumferential surface of the engaging hole are set so that the force exerted by the joint on the link due to the action of the outward force does not generate a moment assisting inclination when the link inclines.

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.09/527,464, filed Mar. 17, 2000, and is incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a joint structure of friction wheel supportcomponents of a friction wheel continuously variable transmission suchas a toroidal continuously variable transmission, and a link connectingthem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tokkai Hei 9-291997 and Tokkai Hei 9-317837 which the Japanese PatentOffice published in 1997 disclose a toroidal continuously variabletransmission as one example of a friction wheel continuously variabletransmission.

In this toroidal continuously variable transmission, torque istransmitted between an input disk and an output disk via a pair of powerroller which are friction wheels gripped by the input disk and outputdisk. The power rollers are respectively supported free to rotate bytrunnions, and when a trunnion is driven in a perpendicular direction tothe rotation axis of the input disk, the force which the power rollerreceives from the input disk and output disk varies, and the powerroller varies its orientation. around a trunnion shaft together with thetrunnion. The orientation of the power roller is expressed as a gyrationangle. A variation of the gyration angle of the power roller causes avariation in the radii of the contact points between the power roller,input disk and output disk, and a speed ratio, which is a ratio of therotation speeds of the input disk and output disk, therefore variescontinuously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to synchronize the gyration angles of the pair of powerrollers, the trunnions supporting the power rollers must be displaced inmutually opposite directions. For this reason, the upper ends of thetrunnion shafts are joined by an upper link, and the lower ends arejoined by a lower link. An engaging hole is formed in each link, and aspherical joint fixed to the outer circumference of the trunnion shaftengages with these engaging holes. The midparts of the upper link andlower link are respectively supported by pins, and the links pivot onthe pins according to the axial displacement of the trunnion.

A load acts on the power roller gripped by the input disk and outputdisk in a direction tending to push it away from the rotation axis, anda force is exerted on the trunnion in the same direction.

A link has the role of holding the trunnion at a predetermined distancefrom the rotation axis against this load. Therefore, the farthest pointon the outer circumference of the spherical joint from the pin is alwayshorizontally pushed toward the engaging hole.

When the link pivots and inclines from the horizontal position, theacting point of the pushing force is offset from the center line of thelink, and exerts a moment on the link. It is undesirable that thismoment assists the inclination of the link so that the link collideswith other components of the trunnion.

It is therefore an object of this invention to prevent the trunnion fromexerting a moment that promotes a further inclination of the link, whenthe link inclines.

In order to achieve the above objects, this invention provides a jointstructure which joins a link and a supporting shaft of such a frictionwheel continuously variable transmission that comprises an input diskand output disk arranged on a rotation shaft, a pair of friction wheelsgripped between the input disk and the output disk, and supportingmembers supporting the friction wheels.

Each of the supporting members comprises the supporting shaftperpendicular to the rotation shaft. The link connects one end of thesupporting shaft of one of the supporting members to one end of thesupporting shaft of another supporting member, and supporting thesupporting members against an outward force exerted by the frictionwheels in a direction away from the shaft. The link is supported by apin so as to be free to pivot.

The joint structure according to this invention comprises a joint fittedto the supporting shaft, and an engaging hole formed in the link intowhich the joint is inserted. The engaging hole comprises an innercircumferential surface, the joint comprises an outer circumferentialsurface in contact with the inner circumferential surface, and the outercircumferential surface and inner circumferential surface have alongitudinal sectional shape such that the force exerted by the outercircumferential surface on the inner circumferential surface due to theoutward force does not generate a moment assisting inclination when thelink inclines.

The details as well as other features and advantages of this inventionare set forth in the remainder of the specification and are shown in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a toroidal continuously variabletransmission to which this invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the toroidal continuouslyvariable transmission.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the essential parts of thetoroidal continuously variable transmission showing the jointconstruction of a link and a trunnion according to this invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are similar to FIGS. 3A and 3B, but showing a secondembodiment of this invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are similar to FIGS. 3A and 3B, but showing a thirdembodiment of this invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are similar to FIGS. 3A and 3B, but showing a fourthembodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a joint between the linkand the trunnion according to a fifth embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of a toroidalcontinuously variable transmission showing a prior art jointconstruction of a link and a trunnion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a toroidal continuously variabletransmission to which this invention is applied is provided with a pairof power rollers 3 on either side of an input shaft 2 in a case 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, an input disk 21 and output disk 22 are arrangedrelative to one another on an input shaft 2, and the input disk 21 andoutput disk 22 grip the power roller 3 due to the thrust force which camrollers 23 exert on the input disk 21. The rotation torque of the inputdisk 1 is transmitted to the output disk 22 via the power rollers 3.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the power roller 3 is supported by a trunnion4 via a crankshaft 3A. The trunnion 4 comprises a trunnion shaft 4Awhich extends in a vertical direction.

The upper ends of the trunnion shafts 4A are connected by an upper link5, and the lower ends are connected by a lower link 6.

A piston 13 is joined to the lower end of the trunnions 4. An oilchamber is formed on both sides of the piston 13, and the piston 13drives the trunnion 4 up and down according to the oil pressure suppliedto these oil chambers from a control valve 24.

The oil pressure supply passage to each oil chamber is so arranged thatthe pair of trunnions 4 are always driven in opposite directions. Thecenter of the upper link 5 connecting the trunnions 4 is supported freeto pivot in the case 1 by a pin 15 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The pin 15is fixed to a support 7 in FIG. 1. The lower link 6 is also supported ina similar fashion in the case 1 by a pin and a support 8. The pair oftrunnions 4 therefore synchronously displace in mutually oppositedirections perpendicular to the input shaft 2, i.e., in theupward/downward direction in FIG. 1.

Thus, when the trunnion 4 displaces, the contact points of the powerroller 3 with the input disk 21 and output disk 22 is offset from theinput shaft 2, and the power roller 3 rotates together with the trunnion4 around the trunnion shaft 4A due to the component force exerted by thedisks 21 and 22 on the power roller 3 in the left and right directionsof FIG. 1. Consequently, the contact radii between the power roller 3,input disk 21 and output disk 22 vary, and the speed ratio of the inputdisk 21 and output disk 22, i.e., the speed ratio of the transmission,varies continuously.

Next, referring to FIG. 3A of the drawings, a pair of through holes 14of uniform diameter are formed in the upper link 5. A spherical joint 9of the upper end of the trunnion shaft 4A engages with the engaging hole14. The joint 9 is fitted to the upper end of the trunnion shaft 4A viaa needle bearing 10.

An inner circumferential surface 14A of the engaging hole 14 is formedin a cylindrical shape. On the other hand, an outer circumference 9A ofthe joint 9 which comes in contact with the inner circumferentialsurface 14A is formed in a barrel shape, i.e., a longitudinal section ofthe outer circumference 9A has a convex portion. The curvature radius ofthe convex portion is set equal to a distance R from the pin 15 to thefarthest point of the outer circumference 9A.

The joint between the trunnion shaft 4A and lower link 6 comprises thesame engaging hole and spherical joint as those of the joint between thetrunnion shaft 4A and upper link 5.

During torque transmission, the input disk 21 and output disk 22 exertloads on the trunnions 4 in a direction away from the input shaft 2according to the thrust force, i.e., a load toward the left on the lefttrunnion 4 and a load toward the right on the right trunnion 4 of FIG.1. As a result, the outer circumferential surface 9A of the joint 9exerts a horizontal force β on the inner circumferential surface 14A ofthe engaging hole 14, as shown in FIG. 3A. The point of action 16 of theforce β coincides with the intersection point between a center line 5Aof the upper link passing through the center of the pin 15 and the innercircumferential surface 14 of the engaging hole 14. When the upper link5 is not inclined, the center line 5A coincides with a horizontal line30.

Next, the case will be considered where the upper link 5 pivots aroundthe pin 15 and is inclined, as shown in FIG. 3B.

Herein, the center line 5A makes an angle α with the horizontal line 30.The inner circumferential surface 14A of the engaging hole 14 in contactwith the outer circumferential surface 9A displaces along an arc ofradius R, but the curvature of the outer circumferential surface 9A isalso the radius R. Therefore, the contact point between the innercircumferential surface 14A of the engaging hole 14 and the outercircumferential surface 9A, i.e., the point of action 16, alwayscoincides with the intersection of the center line 5A and innercircumference surface 14A regardless of the inclination angle α of theupper link 5.

The force exerted by the joint 9 on the upper link 5 acts in ahorizontal direction, and this force decomposes into a force component βin the direction of the center line 5A of the upper link 5, and a forcecomponent acting on the inner circumferential surface 14Aperpendicularly to the center line 5A. As the joint 9 and innercircumferential surface 14A are arranged so that they can slip relativeto each other, the force component acting on the inner circumferentialsurface 14A perpendicularly to the center line 5A does not exert amoment on the upper link 5. Also, the force component β acts on thecenter line 5A, so the force component β also does not exert a moment onthe upper link 5.

In contrast to this, in a prior art spherical joint shown in FIG. 8,when the curvature of the outer circumferential surface 90A is arrangedto be less than the radius R, the contact point between a barrel-shapedspherical joint 90 and the inner circumferential surface 14A is offsetfrom the center line 5A according to the inclination of the upper link5. As a result, the force component β exerts a moment in the clockwisedirection of the figure on the upper link 5. This promotes the furtherinclination of the upper link 5, so the upper link 5 and trunnion 4collide at a site shown by a part 17 in the figure. However, accordingto the construction of the upper link 14 and joint 9 shown in FIGS. 3Aand 3B, such a moment is not exerted on the upper link 5, and thetrunnion 4 does not assist the inclination of the upper link 5.

Next, a second embodiment of this invention will be described referringto FIGS. 4A and 4B.

According to this embodiment, instead of the spherical joint 9 coming incontact with the cylindrical inner circumferential surface 14A of theengaging hole 14, the vertical cross-section of the innercircumferential surface 14A is expanded toward the center in an arcshape, and the outer circumferential surface 9A of the joint 9 is formedin a cylindrical shape.

In this case also, when the upper link 5 is horizontal, the center line5A of the upper link 5 coincides with the horizontal line 30, and thecontact point between the joint 9 and inner circumferential surface 14Ais situated on the center line 5A of the upper link 5, as shown in FIG.4A. Therefore, the force β exerted by the joint 9 on the upper link 5acts on the center line 5A, so the joint 9 does not exert a moment onthe upper link 5.

When the upper link 5 inclines as shown in FIG. 4B, the center line 5Aundergoes a rotational displacement in the clockwise direction of thefigure relative to the horizontal line 30. At the same time, the pointof action 16 of the horizontal force exerted by the joint 9 on the leftof the figure on the upper link 5 moves above the horizontal line 30.Likewise, the point of action 16 of the horizontal force exerted by thejoint 9 on the right of the figure moves below the horizontal line 30.

Further, as the joint 9 has a cylindrical shape, the force β exerted bythe joint 9 on the upper link 5 acts in the direction of the normal tothe outer circumferential surface 9A of the joint 9, i.e., in ahorizontal direction.

Therefore, the force β exerts a moment in the figure on the upper link 5in the anticlockwise direction around the pin 15, i.e., in a directiontending to restore the inclination of the upper link 5 to horizontal.

Since this moment opposes the inclination of the upper link 5, theinclination of the upper link 5 does not easily occur.

According to this embodiment, the outer circumferential surface 9A ofthe joint 9 was made cylindrical, and the inner circumferential surface14A of the engaging hole 14 was expanded toward the center, so machiningof the joint 9 is easy.

Next, a third embodiment of this invention will be described referringto FIGS. 5A and 5B.

According to this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, alongitudinal section of the inner circumference of surface 14A of theengaging hole 14 is formed to have a convex portion, and the outercircumferential surface 9A of the joint 9 is formed in the shape of adepression that has a concave longitudinal section.

The radius of the of the concave portion is set larger than the radiusof the convex portion of the inner circumferential surface 14A.

In this case also, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the upper link 5 ishorizontal, the center line 5A of the upper link 5 coincides with thehorizontal line 30, and the contact point between the joint 9 and innercircumferential surface 14A is situated on the center line 5A of theupper link 5. Therefore, the force β exerted by the joint 9 on the upperlink 5 acts on the center line 5A, and the joint 9 does not exert amoment on the upper link 5.

Next, the case will be considered where the upper link 5 is inclined asshown in FIG. 5B.

In this figure, the upper link 5 is inclined in an opposite direction tothat of the aforesaid first embodiment and second embodiment.

Therefore, the center line 5A of the upper link 5 rotates in theanti-clockwise direction of the figure relative to the horizontal line30. In this state, the contact point between the joint 9 on the left ofthe figure and the inner circumferential surface 14A of the engaginghole 14, i.e., the point of action 16 of the force β exerted by thejoint 9 on the left of the figure on the upper link 5, moves below thehorizontal line 30. The contact point between the joint 9 on the rightof the figure and the inner circumferential surface 14A of the engaginghole 14, i.e. the point of action 16 of the force β exerted by the joint9 on the right of the figure on the upper link 5, moves above thehorizontal line 30.

It may be noted that the point of action 16 is situated on a linejoining the center of an arc of the outer circumferential surface 9A ofthe joint 9, and the center of an arc of the inner circumferentialsurface 14A. Further, the. direction of the force β coincides with aline joining the point of action 16 and the center of an arc of theouter circumferential surface 9A, i.e., with the normal to the outercircumferential surface 9A passing through the point of action 16.

Therefore, in this figure, the force β exerts a moment in the clockwisedirection of the figure on the upper link 5. This moment tends torestore the inclination, of the upper link 5 to the horizontal, in otherwords opposing the inclination of the upper link 5.

Next, a fourth embodiment of this invention will be described referringto FIGS. 6A and 6B.

In this embodiment, the radius of the convex portion of the outercircumferential surface 9A of the joint 9 in the first embodiment is setto a value R1 larger than the distance R from the pin 15 to the furthestpoint on the outer circumferential surface 9A.

By setting the radius R1 of the convex portion of the outer surface 9Ato be larger than the distance R, the point of action 16 of the force βexerted by the joint 9 on the left of FIG. 6B on the upper link 5displaces slightly above the center line 5A, and the point of action 16of the force β exerted by the joint 9 on the right on the upper link 5displaces slightly below the center line 5A as the upper link 5 inclinesclockwise relative to the horizontal line 30 in the figure.

As a result of this displacement of the point of action 16, the force βgenerates a moment which opposes the inclination of the upper link 5.

Next, a fifth embodiment of this invention will be described referringto FIG. 7.

According to this embodiment, the longitudinal section of the innercircumferential surface 14A of the engaging hole 14 formed in the upperlink 5 in the first embodiment is not straight but is formed to have aconcave portion.

A radius R2 of the concave portion is set larger than the radius R ofthe outer circumferential surface 9A of the joint 9. In this case also,as in the fourth embodiment, the force β exerted by the joint 9 on theupper link 5 generates a moment opposing the inclination of the upperlink 5.

In all the aforesaid embodiments, the joint between the upper link 5 andtrunnion shaft 4A was taken as an example, but the description isidentical for the joint between the lower link 6 and trunnion shaft 4A.

The contents of Tokugan Hei 11-76146, with a filing date of Mar. 19,1999 in Japan, are hereby incorporated by reference.

Although the invention has been described above by reference to certainembodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited to theembodiments described above. Modifications and variations of theembodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art, inlight of the above teachings.

The embodiments of this invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

What is claimed is:
 1. A joint structure which joins a link and asupporting shaft of a friction wheel continuously variable transmission,the transmission comprising an input disk and output disk arranged on arotation shaft, a pair of friction wheels gripped between the input diskand the output disk, and supporting members supporting the frictionwheels, each of the supporting members comprising the supporting shaftperpendicular to the rotation shaft, the link connecting one end of thesupporting shaft of one of the supporting members to one end of thesupporting shaft of another supporting member, and supporting thesupporting members against an outward force exerted by the frictionwheels in a direction away from the rotation shaft, the link beingsupported by a pin so as to be free to pivot, the joint structurecomprising: a joint fitted to the supporting shaft; and an engaging holeformed in the link into which the joint is inserted, wherein, theengaging hole comprises an inner circumferential surface, the jointcomprises an outer circumferential surface in contact with the innercircumferential surface, and the outer circumferential surface and innercircumferential surface have a longitudinal sectional shape such thatthe force exerted by the outer circumferential surface on the innercircumferential surface due to the outward force does not generate amoment assisting inclination when the link inclines, and wherein, alongitudinal section of the inner circumferential surface of theengaging hole is formed to have a convex portion, a longitudinal sectionof the outer circumferential surface of the joint is formed to have aconcave portion, and a radius of the concave portion is set to be largerthan a radius of the convex portion.